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HP Breaks the 24 Hour Battery Life mark with the 6930p

With dramatic improvements in battery technology and reductions in the energy needs of modern laptops, consumers are benefiting from longer and longer battery life in laptops and notebooks. HP has recently broken a new barrier of battery life, however, by providing up to 24 hours of battery life on their HP EliteBook 6930p when equipped with an optional ultra-capacity battery.

It wasn’t long ago that notebook and laptop manufacturers were boasting about 8 hours of battery life, noting that it was enough to get through an entire work day. But HP has now allowed users to work for an entire 24-hour period without a recharge.

The secret lies not only in excellent battery technology, but in great power management as well. The HP EliteBook 6930p includes a number of features that help reduce its power consumption. The HP Illumi-Lite LED display uses LED backlighting to increase battery time by as much as four hours. The machine also includes an SSD (solid-state drive) which has no moving parts unlike a traditional hard drive, which uses less power as well.

It is important to note that the laptop in its standard configuration will not supply the 24 hours of battery life achieved in tests, however. Buyers must add the ultra-capacity battery, which is available as an option when purchasing or as an add-on after purchase. Buyers must also choose the 14.1 inch display with the Illumi-Lite LED backlighting option as well. While both of these options add to the cost, the benefits of such long battery life will make the upgrade cost worth it in the long run.

Travelers and mobile professionals who need to power their laptop for long periods of time without recharging will certainly love the freedom offered by the 6930p. While many users may not have a need for such long battery life, HP’s achievement is extremely impressive.

The iPhone 8 back glass is more expensive to fix than the screen

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus‘ most obvious design change is the switch to a glossy, glass back. There was a chance this glass would be priced at or around the same price as a cracked screen under AppleCare+, but that’s apparently not the case: AppleInsider confirmed today that a broken back won’t qualify for a $29 screen replacement. It’ll instead be subject to an “other damage” fee of $99 (plus tax).

Apple gives users two screen replacements and two miscellaneous damage incidents at the $29 and $99 price respectively. After that point, the damage price jumps to $349 for the iPhone 8, and $399 for the iPhone 8 Plus. So basically, don’t crack your phone’s glass or else you’re going to be dishing out lots of cash. AppleCare+ costs $129 for the iPhone 8 and $149 for the iPhone 8 Plus.

We don’t have pricing for the iPhone X’s repairs yet. We know Apple will charge $199 for its warranty program, but the company hasn’t said how much it’ll charge for a screen replacement or broken glass. We can probably assume a new screen will cost more than $29, as the screen is already supposed to be somewhat limited in supply. Cherish the original screen or pay up, I guess.

What is Motherboard “Tattooing” and what does it mean for your motherboard?

You may have heard the term “tattooing” applied to motherboards, and wondered what the term means. A motherboard tattoo is a code that is imprinted on a specific motherboard that locks it to a specific disc, such as a diagnostic or recovery disc that is packaged with the machine. This process is a sort of copy protection that keeps users from using the recovery disc of one machine to install the operating system and other tools onto an unauthorized machine.

The “tattoo” is generally a bit of code programmed into the BIOS of the laptop system boards. When a user attempts to boot from the disc, the BIOS compares the code to the one on the disc, and if the codes don’t match, the system will not boot from the disc. This is common with many HP laptop system boards.

While this system is generally a fairly reasonable way to keep discs from being used on unauthorized systems, it also creates a serious problem for some users who have lost their original disc. Since the system is also tied directly to the disc, a user who has lost their original disc may not have any way to boot a troubled system without the recovery disc, since the system will not boot from an unauthorized disc. In many cases, the solution is to reprogram the BIOS to accept a new disc, which may require sending the computer to the manufacturer for a laptop repair and reprogramming of the chip.

If you have a recovery disc that will not boot with your computer, or you have lost the recovery disc that came with your computer and have no way to boot or repair it, you should contact the manufacturer. The manufacturer may have some options for helping you to repair or recover your system and get it back to a working state. If the problem requires a replacement part, visit our homepage to view parts for your specific model.

T-Mobile and Sprint could announce their merger in October

T-Mobile and Sprint’s on-again, off-again merger talks may be nearing a conclusion. Reuters reports that the two companies are now “close” to reaching “tentative terms” on a merger and could announce a deal by the end of October.

The merger would reportedly give T-Mobile’s owner, Deutsche Telekom, a majority stake in the combined company, while Sprint’s owner, SoftBank, would have somewhere between 40 and 50 percent. T-Mobile CEO John Legere would lead the combined company, according to Reuters.

Those terms are a big flip from what SoftBank had envisioned when it first proposed a merger several years ago. At the time, T-Mobile was struggling, and Sprint was looking at absorbing the then-tinier carrier. In the years since, however, T-Mobile has revitalized its business with aggressive promotions that undercut Verizon and AT&T, and it’s since moved up above Sprint, which is now the carrier desperate for attention.

A deal never happened years ago largely because, under Obama, the FCC was pretty clear that it wouldn’t be approved due to concerns about market consolidation. But with the Trump administration, that’s no longer a worry. It’s pretty much a sure thing that the merger would go through.

Reuters says the combined company would have over 130 million subscribers, barely behind AT&T and Verizon. At the end of last year, AT&T had close to 135 million subscribers and Verizon had close to 146 million.

There’d been some discussion of Sprint potentially ending up with other companies, including Charter or a joint venture between Charter and Comcast. It’s not entirely clear why that fizzled out, but it’s possible Sprint was trying to make negotiations harder for T-Mobile, which always seemed to be Sprint’s most interested suitor.

Common Issues with Lithium-Ion Batteries

Over the past several years, lithium-ion batteries have been the preferred technology, not just for laptop batteries, but also for a number of electronic devices such as cell phones and MP3 players. Some of the main reasons for their popularity are that they are inexpensive to manufacture and that they don’t exhibit many of the issues that plague older technologies, such as the “memory effect” which can cause a dramatic decrease in capacity. Lithium-ion batteries can still have problems, however. Here, we will explore a few of the main issues that can affect lithium-ion batteries.

Decreased Capacity

The main problem with lithium-ion batteries is that they tend to lose some of their capacity over time. This is caused by deposits that form inside the electrolyte of the battery, which eventually inhibits the transport of ions. Eventually the battery loses a large amount of its capacity and needs to be repaired or replaced.

Overheating

Lithium-ion batteries tend to heat up when being charged or discharged. Generally, this is not enough heat to cause any concern, but if the battery malfunctions, it may cause a large amount of heat. In extreme cases, batteries may even bulge or catch fire, though these cases are very rare. Li-ion batteries have many safety features to protect against these kinds of malfunctions.

Not Charging When Plugged In

In some cases, a laptop battery will not register as charging even when the laptop is plugged in. Check to make sure the battery is correctly inserted and that the AC adapter is connected securely to the laptop and the wall outlet. In most cases, this problem is caused by a bad AC adapter or a defective DC jack on the laptop instead of the battery itself.

Despite the few issues mentioned above, lithium-ion batteries tend to be very robust and reliable. Lithium-ion will continue to be the battery of choice for quite a few more years, even as it is slowly replaced by newer technologies.

Anatomy of a laptop battery

While most people would consider a laptop to be a very complex machine, a laptop battery is a very complex device as well. It has many components that combine to give users the portable power they need. Here we will look at what makes up a modern laptop battery.

The most common type of laptop batteries in use today are lithium ion batteries. A lithium ion battery has three main components. There is an anode, which is made from carbon or graphite, a cathode, made of metal oxide, and an electrolyte, which is lithium salt in a solvent. When the laptop is drawing power from the battery, it is known as discharge. When discharging, the lithium ions carry current from the negative electrode to the positive. When recharging, the lithium ions carry the current in the opposite direction, from positive to negative.

Laptop batteries are somewhat susceptible to damage if mistreated. For example, lithium ion batteries are sensitive to heat, and can fail or even swell or burst in extreme temperatures. For this reason, it is imperative to read and follow all safety instructions for your laptop and battery. There are a number of safety features required for laptop batteries in order to protect users from harmful accidents. Batteries must be equipped with a thermal interrupt, which protects from overcurrent and overcharging. They also must have a vent, which allows heat and pressure to escape. There is also a shut-down separator for shutting down the battery if it gets too hot, and a “tear-away tab” for releasing internal pressure in a dangerous situation.

Laptop batteries have gotten some negative press in the past few years, due to manufacturing problems that caused many batteries to fail, which prompted many recalls and repairs. These were mainly manufacturing problems, however, and laptop batteries with the safety features included should be very safe to use and operate, as long as safety guidelines are followed.

Sony Laptop Batteries

As one of the largest companies in the world, Sony has a reputation for quality. Sony’s laptops, especially their VAIO series, are often chosen by high-end users who need quality and style in their laptop.

Sony is one of the few laptop manufacturers to make their own laptop batteries. In fact, they also make laptop batteries for many other manufacturers. The majority of the batteries they make use lithium-ion technology. Lithium-ion is chosen for its long battery life, its large power-to-weight ratio, and lack of the “memory effect” that affects older battery technologies.

When shopping for a replacement for a Sony laptop battery, you should carefully remove the old battery to look for a model number or serial number that will help identify the replacement. First, shut down the laptop and disconnect its AC Adapter and power cord. Turn the laptop over and find the release slider or button that releases the Sony laptop battery, then carefully remove it.

The easiest way to find a replacement for your Sony laptop battery is to use a parts locator tool, or a part number search, available at many online retailers. This tool allows users to enter their laptop or battery model number, and will then display compatible parts for replacement. Since many laptop batteries are only compatible with specific models, it is important to ensure that the Sony laptop battery you buy is compatible with your exact model.

When shopping, you may be given the option of buying an OEM battery or a compatible battery. A compatible laptop battery is one made with the same specifications of the original battery, but at a lower price, since it is not made by the manufacturer of the laptop. When buying compatible batteries, ensure that you are buying from a reputable seller that guarantees the quality of their products.

Once you have your new battery, simply replace it in the same way you removed your old battery, power up your laptop and ensure that your new battery is working.

Apple MC556LL/A Laptop AC Adapter Review

The Apple 85W MagSafe Power Adapter is the highest wattage available in this line of Apple MacBook AC adapters. It is designed for use with any 15 or 17 inch MacBook Pro models.

These MagSafe Apple laptop AC adapters bear the companies landmark magnetic design. Rather than plugging into a jack on your MacBook, these adapters instead latch onto your machine via a magnetic connection. Aside from giving your machine a very cool design factor, this is actually a very functional design. First, this design is as efficient as any DC jack connection. However, this magnetic connection is much faster, easier, and more convenient to attach and remove. Also, it doesn’t require any more parts on your machine, which means there’s less to break or require repair.

This is actually a safety feature of the machine as well. A common source of damage to both typical laptop AC adapters and DC jacks is caused when someone trips over or hits the cord connecting the adapter to the machine. In a DC jack connection, this connection is rigid, and the force can bend pins or jacks, or cause stress on the cord and connections themselves, which can damage or outright break your components. With this magnetic connection, the cord simply falls away, with no damage to either component, and even without any kind of accident, a much longer lifespan for your adapter.

Just like Apple’s innovative laptop batteries, these adapters also bear an LED light indicator indicating to you the status of its charging or running state. An amber light indicates your battery is charging, while a green light tells you your battery is fully charged. These adapters are designed with a unique shape as well, meant for the cord to wrap neatly and securely around its own cube designed plug, for convenient storage and portability.

How to Make Your Cell Phone Battery Last Longer

  1. Turn the phone off. Only do this if it’s going to be for several hours; turning a phone on/off actually uses a massive amount of power itself. This will probably be the most effective and simple way of conserving your battery’s power. Why? This will help conserve energy and also charge your phone. If you don’t plan on answering the phone while you’re sleeping or after business hours, just turn it off. Do the same if you are in an area with no reception (such as a subway or remote area, since constantly searching for service depletes the battery fairly quickly).
  2. Stop searching for a signal. When you are in an area with poor or no signal, your phone will constantly look for a better connection, and will use up all your power doing so. This is easily understood if you have ever forgotten to turn off your phone on a flight. The best way to ensure longer battery life is to make sure you have a great signal where you use your phone. If you don’t have a perfect signal, get a cell phone repeater which will amplify the signal to provide near perfect reception anywhere or simply turn on flight (airplane) mode (as said previously).
  3. Do not follow the method of full charge and full discharge. Avoid letting your cell phone’s battery run all the way down. Unlike nickel-based batteries (such as the NiCd or NiMH rechargeable AA batteries seen in most supermarkets), lithium-based batteries are designed to be charged early and often, and letting them get too low can damage the battery. With lithium-based batteries, doing shallow discharges and frequent charging prolongs battery life.
  4. Switch the vibrate function off on your phone. Use just the ring tone. The vibrate function uses additional battery power. Keep the ring tone volume as low as possible.
  5. Turn off your phone’s back light. The back light is what makes the phone easier to read in bright light or outside. However, the light also uses battery power. If you can get by without it, your battery will last longer. If you have to use the back light, many phones will let you set the amount of time to leave the back light on. Shorten that amount of time. Usually, one or two seconds will be sufficient. Some phones have an ambient light sensor, which can turn off the back light in bright conditions and enable it in darker ones.
  6. Avoid using unnecessary features. If you know it will be a while before your phone’s next charge, don’t use the camera or connect to the Internet. Flash photography can drain your battery especially quickly.
  7. Keep calls short. This is obvious, but how many times have you heard someone on their mobile phone say, “I think my battery’s dying,” and then continue their conversation for several minutes? Sometimes, the dying battery is just an excuse to get off the phone (and a good one, at that), but if you really need to conserve the battery, limit your talk time.
  8. Turn off Bluetooth. It will drain your battery very quickly. Only turn Bluetooth on when needed.
  9. Same goes for WIFI, GPS, and infrared capabilities, if your phone has these features built in. Keep them off except when you need them.
  10. Turn the brightness of the display to the lowest setting possible.
  11. Adjust your network settings when possible. Use 3G (HSPA, HSPA+, UMTS) or 2G (GSM) rather than 4G (LTE). Using your phone in 4G will drain the battery quicker than if you just use 3G or 2G. Turn 4G (LTE) off when there is weak to no 4G signal in your area. When using 4G, both the 3G and 4G radios are turned on therefore it will use a lot of power. You may also turn off 3G and use 2G if there is weak to no 3G.
  12. With a smartphone, avoid using moving or animated pictures or videos for your background. Animated backgrounds will drain the battery faster.

How to Choose a Tablet Computer

Choosing Your Operating System

  1. Look at what you currently use. When it comes to buying a tablet, the main choice you will need to make is the operating system. The operating systems for tablets fall into three basic camps: Apple (iOS), Google (Android), and Microsoft (Windows). The one you pick will be based a lot on the kind of things you do on your regular computer and smartphone.
  2. Consider the pros of iOS. Apple’s iOS is what powers the iPad, the device that kicked the tablet market into high-gear in 2010. iOS is known for it’s intuitive interface, and Apple products are revered for their construction quality.
  3. Consider the pros of Android. Google’s Android operating system is the most popular mobile operating system on the planet, thanks in large part to the massive number of devices that can run it. Android used to be a bit more finicky than iOS, but updates have brought a large number of improvements over the years.
  4. Consider the pros of Windows. Windows isn’t available on as many devices as iOS or Android, but it can be a good choice if you work heavily with Office and other Microsoft products. Windows 10 is currently the main Windows mobile operating system, and some versions are as full-featured as a regular computer.
  5. Set a budget. Low-end tablets start at around $200 USD, while the highest-priced iPad will set you back $800 USD. A lower price usually means less processing power and limited storage. The quality of the display will also suffer on the low-end models.
  6. Look at the app selection. Apps are the main point of having a tablet, and the selection of apps will dictate a lot of what your device can do. You can browse each operating system’s app stores using your web browser. Take a look through the app stores and see which operating system has more apps that appeal to you and your app budget.

Looking at Tablets

  1. Try tablets out in a store first. Even if you’re planning to buy online, see if you can try out a few different tablets at a retail store. This will give you a basic feel for how the models perform, and can help drive your purchasing decision. Just don’t let the salespeople try to talk you into something you don’t want.
  2. Test to see how the tablet handles loading and closing apps, as well as switching in between open apps. Try out a graphically intensive game (if one is available on the demo model) to see how the tablet handles a high load.
  3. Check out the specifications. There are a few different specs that you’ll want to pay attention to when shopping for tablets. Different specs will be relevant for different tablets. For example, if you’re deciding between iPads, the processor won’t make a difference since all new iPads share the same processor. When comparing Android tablets from different manufacturers, however, processor and RAM specifications become much more important.
  4. Check out the camera. If you plan on taking a lot of pictures with the tablet, check out the camera options. Generally, tablets do not have the best cameras, though some models make a point of touting powerful cameras. Most tablets have a camera on the back and a less-powerful camera on the front for video chatting.
  5. Choose a size. Tablets generally come in two different sizes: 10-inch and 7-inch. Screen size is a personal preference; larger screens allow for easier video watching and typing, while smaller tablets will generally be more portable. Apps generally work with both 10-inch and 7-inch tablets, though some are only optimized for one size.